Support foot

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a support foot, which is equipped with a damping element and which exhibits an improved pivotability. The fixing element which is provided for pivotally fastening to a foot receiving device rests on the damping element or is fastened to the same, whereby the fixing element is held by a bracket which is fastened to the foot plate and which overlaps the fixing element. According to another embodiment, the fixing element is comprised of two vertical plates fastened to the foot plate at a distance from the damping element, whereby each plate comprises a vertically arranged, longitudinal hole or a round hole having a diameter larger than the diameter of the bearing element.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a support foot for support devices forsemi-trailers with a foot plate, a damping element arranged on the footplate and a fixing element with two holes for receiving at least onebearing element for pivotable fastening to a foot receiving device ofthe support device. An example of such a support foot is available inthe EP-A-0430 643.

Support devices are, as a rule, arranged in pairs in the front areas ofthe underside of semi-trailers and are always used when the semi-traileris separated from its semi and parked. With air-spring semi-trailers itis, however, known that after a more-or-less extended period leftstanding, air leaks out of the springs, with the consequence that therear end of the trailer wagon drops, so that it assumes an inclinedand/or backward tilting position with regard to the ground. This is whythe support feet and/or their footplates must be arranged to bepivotable, in order to even out this tilted position. The same is alsotrue when the semi-trailer is parked on uneven surfaces. In addition tothe pivoting ability of the foot and/or the footplate, it is desirableto set down the moving parts of the support device gently onto theground while retracting the support devices, in order to avoid anydamage. To this end, corresponding damping elements have been providedin the support feet.

Since it is very difficult to satisfy all these constraints with onlyone foot embodiment, different foot variations are generally usedaccording to the conditions of use.

The necessary embodiment of the foot must usually be decided before thepurchase of the support jack, since the foot is a part of the jack andis correspondingly mounted on it.

The differing embodiment of the foot mostly also determines differentprecautions and preliminary work stages on the support jack itself. Thisyields a specific embodiment of the support jack for each type of footat the time.

The advantage in this is that the foot and the support jack can beoptimally balanced with each other.

There are, however, also significant disadvantages.

This way, many different kinds of work must be carried out in themanufacturing process of the support jack for each type of foot, withcorresponding expenditures for tools, devices, material supplies, spacerequirements and logistics.

In addition, the final consumer or the middleman usually no longer hasthe option of interchanging different types of feet with each other,following the manufacture of the support jack.

It is, therefore, worthwhile to develop types of feet that are asversatile as possible and, accordingly, have a wide range ofapplications.

The current status of technology includes a foot embodiment, hereinafterreferred to as a disk foot. This foot is a rigid shape that has adisk-shaped standing surface and which is able to pivot around an axislocated in the inside pipe of the support jack in a position horizontaland diagonal to the traveling direction. Thus the foot is able to adjustto certain inclinations of the roadway, such as entrance ramps, upwardinclines, etc. and thus facilitate parking the trailer.

Through the rather rigid embodiment of the foot, however, impact loads,such as those arising, for example, while shunting the trailer, aredirectly transferred to the support jack and also immediately to thevehicle. This can lead to functional disturbances or even damage to bothover time.

In order to reduce or even avoid such damage, there are foot types thathave elastic elements that absorb the kinematic energy of the impact andshould therefore protect the mechanical components.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A support device is known from the DE-OS 31 19 359, on which a bottomplate is provided, overlapping on its side at the lower end of theretractable support part of this protective piece, through which arubber compression body is arranged between these bottom plates and thefoot plate. A holding ring welded to the foot plate overlaps thering-shaped part of the bottom plate standing to the side with an upperedge segment, allowing a certain amount of play between the holding ringand the retractable support part. The pivoting elbow joint and springpath of the foot plate is limited here by the compressibility of theelastic compression body and the distance between the holding ring andthe retractable support piece. This construction only allows limitedadjustment of the footplate to greater unevenness of the ground.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is the challenge of the invention to create a support foot in themanner described above, which is connected to the support device and issupported on the support device by means of a damping element, and whichis easily adjustable to different support devices with adequate dampingand pivoting ability.

To meet this challenge the fixing element rests on or is fastened to thedamping element, whereby the fixing element is held by a bracketfastened to the footplate and overlapping the fixing element.

In its unloaded condition, the footplate hangs on the bracket on thefixing element, and the damping element is not compressed. The fixingelement is located between the damping element and this bracket. Whenthe support foot lands on the ground the fixing element is released fromthe bracket and compresses the damping element. The fixing element doesnot need to be able to pivot in the area of the damping element, becausethe pivoting suspension of the fixing element is provided on thefoot-receiving device of the support device.

In particular, the fixing element is a U-shaped component with two legspointed vertically upward, so that both legs line up with both holes forreceiving the bearing element for the pivoting suspension. The pivotingsuspension and damping element are arranged one above the other and arecompletely disconnected, so that both movements neither influence norimpede each other.

In particular, two stops are attached on the footplate under the fixingelement, so as to limit movement of the fixing element. These stops arehelpful in protecting the damping element from excessive loads.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 Embodiment of a support foot, vertical, cross-sectional view,

FIG. 2 Support foot, as shown in FIG. 1, side view.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In FIG. 1, the lower end of the support device 2 is shown. On the insidecollar 3 on the lower end there is a foot receiving device 4 with apipe-shaped, vertically aligned central body 21, on which horizontallyaligned sleeves 5, overlapping on their sides, and the bearing elementsare attached in the form of bearing pipe segments 6. A U-shapedcomponent 16 is arranged to be able to pivot at these bearing pipesegments 6, which forms the fixing element 15 for the support foot 10.

The U-shaped component 16 features a horizontally arranged middle piece17 a and two vertical, rising legs 17 b. In the legs 17 b, holes 18 arearranged for reaching the bearing pipe segment 6. The fixing element 15rests on the damping element 12 and is overlapped by a bracket 14,which, as indicated in FIG. 2, is fastened to the top side of the footplate 11.

In touching down the support foot 10, the fixing element 15 moves downand thus compresses the damping element 12. The middle piece 17 a isthen released from the bracket 14. To limit movement on the side of thedamping element 12, two stops 19 are arranged on the footplate 11, whichsupports the fixing element 15 under extreme load. Vertical movement isguaranteed by the damping element 12 and, independent of this, thepivoting ability is ensured by the embodiment of the U-shaped component,in connection with the foot receiving device 4.

REFERENCE SIGNS

2 Support device

3 Inside collar

4 Foot receiving device

5 Sleeve

6 Bearing pipe segment, Bearing element

10 Support foot

11 Foot plate

12 Damping element

13 Connection plate

14 Bracket

15 Fixing element

16 U-shaped component

17 a Middle piece

17 b Leg

18 Hole

19 Stop

21 Pipe-shaped central body

What is claimed is:
 1. A support foot, for a support device of asemi-trailer comprising: a foot plate; a damping element arranged on thefoot plate; and a fixing element with two holes receiving at least onebearing element adapted for pivotable fastening to a foot receivingdevice of the support device, wherein the fixing element either restsupon the damping element or is attached thereto, so that the fixingelement is held by a bracket fastened to the footplate and overlappingthe fixing element.
 2. The support foot according to claim 1, whereinthe fixing element is a U-shaped component with two vertical upwardpointing legs, and wherein both legs match both holes for receiving thebearing element.
 3. The support foot according to claim 1, wherein twostops are fastened to the footplate under the fixing element, so as tolimit movement of the fixing element.